New Delhi: A report that lends credence to opposition parties' claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is acting as a 'cleansing agent' for those facing corruption charges has found that 25 politicians from other parties under investigation by central agencies have switched allegiance to the BJP since 2014.
Interestingly, out of these, 23 leaders have seen relief in their cases. While three of their cases have been entirely closed, 20 others are either stalled or in cold storage. "In only two of the 25 cases — those of former Congress MP Jyoti Mirdha and former TDP MP YS Chowdary — there is no sign of a let-up by the ED even after the two leaders joined the BJP. At least, not yet," The Indian Express reported.
According to the newspaper, the leaders include 10 from the Congress, four each from the Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena, three from Trinamool Congress, two from Telugu Desam Party, and one each from Samajwadi Party and YSR Congress Party.
"Six of the politicians on this list joined the BJP this year alone, just weeks before the general elections," the newspaper's report stated.
The leaders named in the Express report include Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Ashok Chavan, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Suvendu Adhikari, Pratap Sarnaik, Hasan Mushrif, Bhavana Gawali, and others.
Over the past few years, opposition parties have repeatedly voiced their concerns about the Narendra Modi government's alleged "misuse" of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, and Income Tax Department. In the months leading up to the 2024 elections, two state chief ministers – Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal – have been arrested by the ED. Several other leaders have been raided and summoned for questioning.
Despite the BJP's claims of being a "clean" party while all others are corrupt – a claim that has been seriously questioned following recent revelations about electoral bonds – it has been openly rewarding leaders with a corruption-tainted track record with tickets and 'star campaigner' status.
As per a report by Wire on a state-wise list of such leaders who have switched over in recent months. Since then, the CBI has filed a closure report in a corruption case involving Praful Patel of the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction), and G. Janardhan Reddy, accused in an illegal mining scam, has joined the BJP.
An opposition skew
A 2022 report by Scroll on the ED's record of targeting opposition politicians highlighted the data and urgency with which the Opposition was targeted. "If the timing of ED investigations appears suspect in several cases involving the Opposition, conversely, it is hard not to notice the lack of similar alacrity in cases involving BJP leaders", it wrote. Government data it cited showed how cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act had surged since 2017.
Another investigation found that 95% of ED cases since the BJP came to power in 2014 were against Opposition leaders.
A report by The Indian Express "showed that between 2014 and September 2022, 121 prominent leaders came under ED radar, 115 of them Opposition leaders; the list has grown since".
